Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Offensive linemen J.J. DENMAN of Fairless Hills (Pa.) Pennsbury High School, BOONE FELDT of Buda (Texas) Hayes High School, MARK HARRELL of Charlotte (N.C.) Catholic High School, TREY KEENAN of Argyle (Texas) High School, CALEB STACY of Cincinnati Oak Hills High School, SPENCER STANLEY of Fort Worth (Texas) Trinity Valley School and MAX TUERK of Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic High School have been selected to play for the 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team, assembled by USA Football.

The team will compete Feb. 1 – National Signing Day – in the third annual International Bowl, formerly Team USA vs. The World.

The International Bowl is sanctioned by International Federation of American Football. IFAF is composed of 62 nations spanning six continents that possess a national federation dedicated solely to American football.

The U.S. Under-19 National Team, comprised of high school athletes, will face an IFAF World Team of top players age 19-and-under from outside the United States. Both teams will field a roster of 50 players. Team USA’s players and coaches are selected by USA Football.

The 2012 International Bowl will be played at The Palace at Round Rock in Austin, Texas.
A four-year starter at Fairless Hills, Denman has played center and tackle. His strength and ability to move defenders out of running lanes have him projected as a right tackle in college. After receiving offers from 25 schools, the 6-foot-7, 305-pound lineman has committed to Wisconsin.

Feldt helped Pilot Point (Texas) High School win the 2009 Class AA state title as a sophomore before transferring to Buda Hays, where his father is the head coach. He has verbally committed to play at North Texas, where he will join his brother, Cam. The 6-3, 280-pound Feldt was an all-state selection last season.

Harrell anchored a Charlotte Catholic line that went 14-1 in 2010, reaching the North Carolina Division 3AA semifinals. Catholic’s offensive line blocked for an offense that averaged 8.5 yards per carry and rushed for more than 4,600 yards. The 6-5, 270-pound lineman has verbally committed to Notre Dame.

The 6-6, 275-pound Keenan is verbally committed to play at Texas Tech. He was an integral part in Argyle High School’s 13-1 season in 2010, which culminated in a quarterfinals appearance in the Texas 3A Division 2 playoffs. He also participates in shot put and discus at Argyle.

Stacy is a big, powerful blocker at 6-4, 275 pounds who plays left tackle at Oak Hills but is projected to play guard in college. He has the ability to get out to pull and trap along with the footwork to take on smaller, quicker pass rushers.

A two-way lineman at Trinity Valley, Stanley has a combination of strength and agility in his 6-4, 275-pound frame. Playing both nose tackle and defensive end he finished 2010 with 42 tackles, 6? sacks, three forced fumbles, five fumble recoveries and an interception he returned for a touchdown during his junior year. Staley has committed to play on the offensive line at Rice.

In addition to his exceptional high school football achievements, Stanley earned a Team USA roster spot by virtue of his strong display of skills at the U.S. Under-19 National Team Trials in Marietta, Ga., in May. Nearly 200 high school football players from 32 states competed for a Team USA roster spot at the National Team Trials.

Tuerk has verbally committed to play at Southern Cal. A two-way starter on the Rancho Santa Margarita (Calif.) Catholic line, the 6-6, 290-pound tackle has ability to block on two levels during running plays, opening huge holes for running backs. He has the strength and the footwork to win most matchups.

USA Football will announce 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team players in their position groups through mid-November.
Team USA is led by STEVE SPECHT, head coach of Cincinnati St. Xavier High School. Specht led St. Xavier to Ohio Division I (largest school division) state titles in 2005 and 2007. He is 77-19 (.802) since becoming the head coach at his high school alma mater following the 2003 season.
A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. The International Bowl is recognized as a national team competition.
USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the United States and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and NFL Players Association.
GREG MARSHALL of the University of Western Ontario in Canada is the IFAF World Team’s head coach. His 10-member staff consists of assistant coaches from Canada, France, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.
The U.S. Under-19 team defeated The World, 21-14, in February 2011 in Austin, Texas, as well as 17-0, in January 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The U.S. also won the gold medal at the IFAF Under-19 World Championship in Canton, Ohio, during the summer of 2009.
U.S. Under-19 National Team roster: